Kanto no Rei
by Arisugawa Rei-chan
Summary: This is the story of a young Trainer who started a little late. Join in as we travel around the Kanto Region collecting Gym Badges, Pokémon and friends. Based my experiences with the FireRed/LeafGreen Pokémon Games.
1. Chapter 1: Pallet Town

The sun was high in the sky and shining with sensible force; enough to produce warmth, but not enough to suffocate the people and Pokémon under its rays. A playful breeze tugged at the blossoming plant life of Pallet Town, where the authority on Pokémon research and beloved poet, Professor Oak, built his lab all those many years ago. This sleepy little town is also home to the hero of our story, 13 year-old Rei, who had, up until today, missed all past opportunities of acquiring a Pokémon from the good professor. Today, Rei prepares for the journey and hopes for the best.

"Okay… I have that Potion Dad sent me when he first heard I was going to attempt becoming a Trainer again. But that was months ago… Has this thing expired? _Can_ it expire?" the youth asked to no one in particular and inspected the small container for any signs of fault, "Well, I guess its okay… Oh, and I have the 3000 Poké Dollars I've saved so far, so I guess I should be okay…"

"Rei! You're going to be late _again_!" looking up as part of instinct upon hearing a feminine voice, the mental check-list was replaced with questions on how to make haste.

"I'll be there in a minute!" the shout came from upstairs in a rushed manner and Rei's mother could tell the last minute—or rather, the first-time arrangements to the adventure plan were far from done.

"That child wouldn't be able to take any more heartache from hearing there are no more Pokémon left to choose from because of being late again… And I don't want to see that sulking face anymore; three years of that is more than enough," she tore herself away from the kitchen and made her way to the stairs. She stood at the foot of the few steps and gave one last warning to her firstborn, "If you don't get down here this instant, I'll be the one going over to the Professor's Lab and pick up that Pokémon. But, I'll keep it for myself, you know!"

And not a minute too soon, Rei came into view at the top of the stairs. A trusty white backpack strapped on the shoulders, the black sleeping bag tied to the top of the backpack, just behind the child's neck, and a gray duffle bag with who knows what inside. The grown woman looking up from the bottom of the stairs didn't know if she wanted to cry or if she wanted to laugh so hard she _would_ cry afterwards. Her firstborn was about to embark on an adventure, all alone and without her supervision, to become a Pokémon Master. She had seen her younger son begin his journey little over a month ago, but she didn't remember being quite so emotional about it. Maybe it was the fact that Rei had wanted this since early childhood and the horrible event of not getting to the Lab on time every time for three straight years had seemingly crushed that hope, whereas Jo had been a bit hesitant on leaving and would have been just as happy staying in Pallet Town and become one of the Professor's Aides. It had been Rei who changed his mind by telling Jo about how he could acquire much needed information about Pokémon around Kanto; if you want to become a Pokémon Professor some day, having some field experience doesn't hurt.

So she held herself together until Rei had made it to the bottom of the stairs, now standing right in front of her. Rei looked so grown up, all ready for the biggest adventure a kid could face. A black and white baseball cap hid the unruly, black, shoulder-length hair that was sloppily kept in a loose ponytail, the black long-sleeve jacket that hid the plain white t-shirt underneath and the loose black jeans, the ones that would probably rip or turn another color because of the dirt they'll gather on the first day of the journey because of all the excitement and the running around in grassy plains for new Pokémon to collect. In her opinion, her child was looking pretty good, except a rather simple question was still on her mind:

"Honey? Why the duffle bag? I thought kids only took a backpack and a sleeping bag with them on their Pokémon journey," she gave a look at the medium-sized gray duffle bag her kid was proudly carrying over a shoulder.

"This? It's my stuff; my personal things I think I'll need for the whole journey," the youth answered rather smugly, in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Your personal things are in there? Things like what?" she still didn't get it. When she began her Pokémon journey all those years ago, she only took a few changes of clothes, snacks, the money she had saved up for the trip, a sleeping bag, and there was still room for the things she picked along the way. If there was anything she needed, she could get it at a reasonable prize along the way, or some other friendly Trainer would provide in exchange for something else.

"Mom, I'm a growing kid, and going through puberty, no less; who knows how long I'll be gone on this trip. Jo-kun left about a month ago and he has four badges already, but he's the one who studied Pokémon on a daily basis. I'm a bit older, yeah, but I've never once been out of town and I know next to nothing about how to raise a Pokémon, let alone take care of six and make them battle against professional Trainers like those Gym Leaders," an exasperated sigh escaped the young lips when the older woman's face formed into a disbelieving look, "I'll carry the Potions, Antidotes, and all the Pokémon stuff on my backpack and the money, clothes, my food, and personal things on the duffle bag. And, if things get ugly, I'll just drop the backpack somewhere I'll be able to come back to later, like a Pokémon Center, and be on my way. You said so yourself a couple of times, prepare ahead for the long journey. Well, I've been preparing for the past few months, and quite frankly, I think I'm ready."

The speech ended with a triumphant smile, and thus began the mother's sobbing, followed by the hugs, the squeezing, and Rei's frantic attempts at calming the woman and escaping before being smothered to death. First, the 'Mom, please, I'll be late,' then the 'I promise I'll call every day,' finally ending in a desperate 'You can come with me if you're going to worry this much.' That last one seemed to do the trick, since the still-sobbing woman released her offspring and started chuckling until she was done drying her tears.

"Don't be silly, child. Who'll take care of the house if I go with you? And, the whole point of going on an adventure like this on your own is to grow as an individual and learn to take of yourself. Otherwise, all parents would go with their kids running after Pokémon around these parts. Besides," She was laughing wholeheartedly by now, "Jo-kun would be jealous if I went with _you_ instead of having accompanied _him_."

"Yeah, I guess… So, I'll be going now?" at a nod from the only adult in the house at the moment, Rei got a better grip on the duffle bag ad headed for the door. Once there, it felt just right to turn around and have a last look at the house from the door, even at the risk of being a cliché, "I think I _will_ miss this place after all… And I'll miss _you_, Mom," an honest smile appeared as the tears began overflowing the brown eyes.

"_You'll_ be getting emotional now? Go on, you've wasted enough time with me here. Go!" she waved at her child and left for the kitchen, or as Rei thought, hurried off so she could cry a bit more and reminisce about the past when her kids where just little twerps running around the house creating havoc.

So, the first steps toward the greatest adventure our hero had ever dreamed of took Rei towards Professor Oak's Lab. The spacious lab was located over a small hill in the outskirts of Pallet Town, and the view was quite a breathtaking experience. It was surprising how cold the air felt against the skin, and how… dark the sky was? What was going on here? The air was cold and there was a purplish color to the sky above. The lights on the street were still on, too. What time was it? Rei was checking the wristwatch that had been a birthday present from one of the many relatives in the family, when suddenly, a voice called out.

"On your way to becoming a Pokémon Master, eh?" the male voice called out from behind.

"Yes, sir, I am," Rei replied with a smile to the young man with glasses that came up and halted to the right. He didn't look older than eighteen, but then again, Rei wasn't too good at guessing people's ages.

"You're a bit early don't you think? It's still so dark," the young man asked while removing his glasses and cleaning them with a soft-looking cloth.

"How early is it?" Rei asked, squinting at the wristwatch in the dark.

"Oh, about 5:45 in the morning," the man replied after placing his glasses back on their place and looking at his own digital wristwatch, "Are you going to Professor Oak's Lab?"

"Yes, I am, though I doubt anyone will be there at this time. And besides, it's too early to get a Pokémon right now, isn't it?" Rei gave a downcast look and with slumped shoulders continued walking towards the Lab at a slower rate. The man walked a few steps ahead before talking once again.

"Well, I'm one of the Professor's Aides. I could walk with you to the Lab, if you want. You could be the very first to enter," the Aide smiled at Rei a few steps away, urging the child to cheer up and keep up.

"Then… I'll be the first one there? I'll get to choose my Pokémon first?" Rei lightened up considerably and began walking with a bounce in every step.

"Sure. You'll even get to see the Professor before anyone else, aside from me, of course," he gave a toothy grin and dug his hands in his pants pockets, his dark brown hair dancing a bit in the chill morning air.

"Okay, let's do that!"

"My name is Inoue Kazuhiko," the Professor's Aide stretched out a friendly hand.

"I'm Arisugawa Rei, nice to meet you!" Rei took the man's hand and shook it firmly, a big smile showing.

And off they went towards the Lab; talking about the three Starter Pokémon Rei would have to choose from, the Gyms they knew about in Kanto and almost everything Pokémon-related. The walk was seemingly quick though in reality they had taken their sweet time getting to their destination, almost taking a half hour. And, once there, it was only a matter of opening the front door, turning on the lights, checking the lab equipment and the Pokémon they were keeping for the Trainers who had left Pallet Town before Rei.

"What's going on here?" Kazuhiko asked out loud as they found the front door open. They were greeted by many species of Pokémon running free in the Lab. They also found that the lights were on, and the lab equipment was up and running.

"It's a party!" Rei answered him while rushing inside and taking in the different type of Pokémon running, flying and swinging around the spacious lab. A dog-like Pokémon leaped at the startled Rei and started sniffing all over, after a while, growling playfully at the soon-to-be Trainer.

"I think he likes you," a chuckle was hidden in the man's voice as he walked toward Rei and the mystery Pokémon.

"And I think I like _him_!" Rei laughed while hugging the playful Pokémon closer, earning a growl and a soft tackle from the newfound buddy.

"Professor, did you release these Pokémon?" Kazuhiko eyed the room while expecting an answer from the Pokémon Professor, but got another question in return, this one, from Rei.

"_You're_ Professor Oak? _The_ Professor Oak?" Rei asked a bit flabbergasted, ending almost completely all play with the rowdy canine.

"Yes, I did, and yes, I am. I'm Professor Oak, though people affectionately call me 'The Pokémon Professor.' I'll be the one who'll be responsible with partnering you up with a Pokémon who will be your first companion for the journey you've decided to begin today," Professor Oak said while smiling openly.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Oak, my name is Arisugawa Rei and my wish is to become a Pokémon Master," Rei greeted the Pokémon Professor with an eager look in those brown eyes inherited from the mother who so lovingly encouraged the adventure that would take flight that day.

"I met Rei on the way to the Lab and we found the Pokémon all running free," Kazuhiko informed the Professor and ventured out a question shortly after, "Professor, is there any reason behind the release of these Pokémon?" he saw Rei was once again playing with the canine out of the corner of his eye, probably too happy for words upon meeting the illustrious Pokémon Professor in person and playing with a real Pokémon for the very first time.

"There's this Trainer that left about a month ago, Jo, I think it was? Well, he called from Celadon City saying he would really appreciate it if I gave them a full check up. It looks like he needs them in top condition for their next badge," the professor informed his Aide while petting a big, pink oval-shaped Pokémon with wide blue eyes, and then he turned to Rei and the canine Pokémon, "Do you know what kind of Pokémon that is?"

"Uh…" Rei felt a bit dumb for playing with a Pokémon without knowing what kind it was, or whose was it, for that matter. But, he was just so adorable, there was really nothing to do except play with him!

"Don't worry, don't worry. It's a Growlithe, by the way; it's a Fire-type Pokémon, evolves with a Fire Stone into Arcanine. They make faithful companions and are very protective of their Trainers," Professor Oak informed Rei once again, patted his left leg and the Growlithe came running to his side. Oak stroke the fire canine's head, pointed a red and white ball at it and a red beam of light came out, which came in contact with the Pokémon and made it disappear.

"And it belongs to…" then, Rei realized the friendly Pokémon belonged Jo-kun, the brother who had left a month ago to gain experience in the world of Pokémon, "I just played with my brother's Pokémon!"

"Your brother?" both Professor Oak and Kazuhiko asked Rei, who looked rather thrilled at the moment.

"Yup, Jo-kun is my brother. He's my younger brother, actually. He left Pallet Town about a month ago, already has four Official Pokémon League Badges, and apparently owns a Growlithe," Rei finished while looking in awe at the vast collection of Pokémon running around the Lab.

"Wait, _that_ Jo is your younger brother?" the Aide asked Rei in a bit of a shock.

"Yes, he is," a bit confused, Rei decided to see where this could go, "Is he famous or something?"

"Well, with only a month gone by, he's already seen about a hundred and five species of Pokémon and owns all you see here at the moment." Informed Kazuhiko and, after that, he just watched as Rei's jaw dropped.

"There are… that many Pokémon in the world…?" asked a very dumbfounded Rei.

"No," corrected Professor Oak, "there are more." He gave a cheerful smile.

Rei let out the breath nobody knew was being held at the time. Jo-kun had left a month ago, already had four badges, had seen little more than a hundred species of Pokémon, and owned the whole bunch that ran around Professor Oak's Lab. He had been busy for the last month, and he never mentioned anything like that when he called once a week. He just seemed normal, like he was calling from next door saying he would stay a little longer because he didn't quite understand something in the neighbor's Pokémon magazine articles. If Rei had those many badges and at least half as many Pokémon Jo-kun sent to the Lab, no coherent words would be able to come through the phone. Professor Oak talked once more, breaking Rei out of a reverie.

"What?" questioned the youth, still in a daze.

"I was asking if you wanted to see the Starter Pokémon now or if you wanted to wait a while," repeated the Professor, trying to hide a chuckle while Kazuhiko directed Jo-kun's Pokémon toward the machines that would help examine them.

"I can choose now?" was the enthusiastic question.

"Sure. They're over this way," Oak motioned with a hand so Rei would follow through a door.

They made their way into a smaller room with a few tables lined against the walls with open books and papers lying around on them, more lab equipment, and at the end, in front of a couple of glass doors, a table holding three Poké Balls. Rei's heart began beating a bit faster with anticipation as they came closer to that one table. Inside on of those three Poké Balls was the Pokémon that would fight the battles that would lead them on the road towards the Indigo Plateau, were the Pokémon League held a Tournament once every year to crown a trainer among thousands as the Kanto Region Pokémon League Champion. The Trainer holding the title of the Pokémon League Champion was regarded as the best Trainer in the Region, elite in both skill and power. Becoming the Kanto Pokémon League Champion was only a step in the ladder towards becoming a full-fledged Pokémon Master, and also the current goal of our young hero.

"There are three Starter Pokémon— they are held inside these Poké Balls. You can have just one, so choose wisely," Professor Oak began explaining, "The first, from right to left, is Bulbasaur, a Grass-type Pokémon; it is easy to raise. The next one in line is the Fire-type, Charmander; raising it requires a lot of patience. And, last but not least, Squirtle, the Water-type Pokémon; it is one worth raising."

Rei looked at the Poké Balls containing the Starter Pokémon as if one of them would jump, giving the message that it was the right choice. But, there was no right or wrong choice here; it was just a matter of what you wanted in a Pokémon and how you wanted to start your journey. Choosing carefully was important here, since this Pokémon would be the one fighting the first battles and helping recruit new Pokémon for the cause of surpassing the Pokémon Gym Challenge and later on, the Pokémon League. Professor Oak must've seen the look in Rei's face, judging from the offer he made.

"Do you want to see them outside their Poké Balls before coming to a decision?"

"Yeah, that would make thing a bit easier." Rei exhaled, ready to go into inspector mode.

Professor Oak picked the Poké Ball from the left, threw it much alike a pitcher throws a baseball while shouting the words 'Bulbasaur, come on out!' and a red beam shot out of the Poké Ball, much like the one that had engulfed Jo-kun's Growlithe before it disappeared into the ball. Only the shape of something squatting was visible for about a second, and the next thing Rei knew, something that looked much like an over-sized frog with a plant on its back appeared on the ground, repeating its name in a raspy voice. The Pokémon Professor repeated the same act with the second and third Poké Balls, saying the respective Pokémon names and out came Charmander and Squirtle, in that order. Charmander looked like an orange lizard with a tail exuding an effervescent flame, while Squirtle resembled a turtle the color of the blue sky, with a brownish shell and a curling tail.

Rei examined each and every Pokémon, taking in their size, distinctive features, and moods toward someone new. Bulbasaur smiled with its wide mouth and greeted with its raspy voice in a way that Rei could only describe as friendly. Charmander, on the other hand, called out its own name in a bit of a high-pitched voice and made the flame on its tail grow quite a bit, giving of a feeling of perseverance and self-confidence. Squirtle looked up at Rei and did something that looked like waving with its paw, with its eyes closed, and voiced its name in a ripple.

"They all look cute, so I can't just choose the cutest out of the three… Besides, that wouldn't be sound judgment," a hand flew to the curving mouth while other standards ran through the mind of the youth, before very loud steps were heard coming from behind the group.

"Professor! I'm here to pick my Pokémon!" shouted a brown-haired boy with honey-brown eyes dressed in a sapphire vest over a white, classic dress shirt, a sapphire tie and sash, navy blue slacks, and dress shoes of the same color. He looked quite happy for a while, until apparently he noticed Rei and the three Pokémon out of their Poké Balls, "Hello."

"Oh, you must be Mizuno Nakao, welcome! You're just in time— Rei here was just about to choose a Starter Pokémon," greeted Professor Oak in a cheerful mood.

"Hello, I'm Arisugawa Rei, nice to meet you, Mizuno-kun," said Rei in a rather courteous manner.

"'Mizuno-kun'? What are you an old-timer?" asked Nakao in a flat voice.

"Well, Rei here is older, so…" Oak trailed off, not really wanting to get into details.

"How old?" was the bold question out of the boy.

"Thirteen," was the fast reply. Rei was a bit embarrassed at how much time had passed since the first attempt at becoming a Trainer.

"You _are_ old— no wonder you talk like that!" and kids like this one were the reason why Rei was embarrassed the most.

"Well, Rei was only delayed a bit, but I'm sure it won't damage the outcome of the journey ahead," Oak was a bit annoyed at how Nakao had acted regarding Rei's age, "Besides, Nakao, you're eleven years old, right? A whole year has passed since the day you were supposed to pick up your first Pokémon, correct?"

"That… Well, my mother told you we had to move around for a bit because of my father's work, so… Anyway, I was only…" Nakao looked absolutely spooked at how he had been exposed like that in front of another person; so much, that he couldn't speak coherently anymore.

"You were only delayed a bit," Rei finished for him, the Starter Pokémon nodding in agreement.

"Well," began Nakao once he regained his poise, "will you choose your Pokémon, or can I go first?"

Rei gave an almost inaudible grunt— now there was the pressure of someone waiting afterwards. Well, having learned about the specialties of the first two Pokémon Gyms, Rei thought Bulbasaur would be a perfect candidate, since it was a strong match-up against Rock-type and Water-type Pokémon. That alone wasn't reason to consider Bulbasaur the best candidate, though. On the other hand, Rei had seen a Pokémon Trainer using a Blastoise, Squirtle's last evolution, on a televised battle and it had been just awesome. Blastoise was a formidable foe in battle, but that was only because it had worked extra hard with its Trainer to reach that kind of power, probably over years of arduous training. And last but not least, there was Charmander, who evolved into the dual-type Charizard; its last evolution was a Flying- Fire-type who could melt huge boulders using a Flamethrower at full force. Such sheer power really made Rei want to pick that Charmander but—

"What? You haven't decided yet?" Nakao didn't sound sympathetic at all, but rather impatient.

"Don't rush me, Mizuno…" Rei looked over a shoulder and gave the boy a rather stern look, "I pick… I pick Charmander!" Rei pointed at said Pokémon and it leaped from joy while Bulbasaur and Squirtle seemed to be making cries of congratulations.

"I'm sure you'll make a great team," commented Professor Oak as he handed Rei Charmander's Poké Ball.

"That Charmander? What made you choose him? He's weak against Rock- and Water-type Pokémon. You'll have a hard time with the first Gyms," was the matter-of-fact comment from Nakao, who looked as though Rei had made the worst mistake in Pokémon history. Charmander, for one looked like throwing a fit of righteous anger... That or he wanted to try and burn the kid to a crisp.

"I don't know, but there's something about Charmander that just makes me feel confident about how our journey will turn out. I'm sure Bulbasaur and Squirtle will be awesome assets to their Trainers, but I feel at ease with my choice. Besides, those difficulties you mentioned earlier will only be extra work, and that means it'll just be a matter of time before we're strong enough to face any other challenges that come our way."

"Well, that's just you, I guess. As for me, I choose Squirtle," Nakao pointed at the aquatic Pokémon who jumped right into its new Trainer's arms, crying out its excitement, "Just look at that energy! You're full of pep, aren't you? We're sure to make a splash at the Pokémon League in just a while!" Nakao looked like a whole different person with Squirtle in his arms.

Rei's first impression of Mizuno Nakao was that of a sure rival, since he appeared to have thought that when he first walking in and found out he wasn't the first to pick a Pokémon. He looked pretentious, as if he thought of himself high and mighty, and to top it all off, he was overdressed. He was going to embark on a Pokémon and he was wearing formal clothes; unless he meant to change his attire after picking up his Pokémon, he would have trouble moving much in case of an emergency if he didn't want to mess his clothes. He came off as hostile toward Rei, for some reason. It felt as if he wanted to beat Rei in every possible thing just to prove he was superior or just because he could. But, with Squirtle being so playful in his arms and the smile he was giving his first Pokémon, Rei thought he would make a capable adversary and a very loving Trainer.

"So, Mizuno, why did you choose Squirtle? It's a Water-type, so it'll be a good match-up against Rock-types, but against other Water-types like the ones in Cerulean's Gym, it could be a sure tie," Rei wondered about Nakao's reasons for the choice he had just made, and it was only fair to ask him, since he was the first to ask Rei about Charmander.

"Nakao. My name is Nakao and, as newfound rivals, I think we should be in a first name basis, Rei," all Rei could think at the moment was 'I knew it…' "Well, yeah, Squirtle will be an important part of my strategy against Pewter Gym's Pokémon Trainers. Regarding the Cerulean City Gym, by the time I get there, I should have enough Pokémon to win if Squirtle can't snatch the victory on its own."

"It looks to me like you two are planning ahead rather nicely," commented Professor Oak, who had been a bit inactive during the conversation between the new Trainers, "But, before you two get going on your adventure, I'd like you to come with me for a moment."

The Pokémon Professor led the youngsters to the main room of the lab, where earlier that morning, Rei and Kazuhiko encountered Jo-kun's Pokémon running wild. Nakao looked around the room with scanning eyes, probably taking in his surroundings since he must've stormed right into the room that held the Starter Pokémon and where Rei had been mulling over each possibility the different Pokémon represented without so much as a glance to everything else before getting there. The Professor stopped behind of one of the tables where there were two red gadgets, no bigger than a notebook sat. At the side of each of the gadgets were five Poké Balls, not as big as the ones that belonged to Growlithe and Charmander, but big enough to have in one hand.

"I have a request for you two. This is my invention, the Pokédex. It's a high-tech encyclopedia that automatically records data on Pokémon you've seen or caught. You are to take these with you," he looked into the eyes of both Trainers and saw the excitement beginning to swell up. He could already tell they would be dedicated workers and that they would help greatly in the realization of his dream, "You can't get detailed data on Pokémon by just seeing them. You must catch them to obtain complete data. So, here are some tools for catching wild Pokémon." He motioned at the Poké Balls.

"These are… a bit smaller, aren't they?" commented Nakao, voicing out Rei's earlier thoughts.

Oak took one of the Poké Balls, pressed the button in the middle and both Trainers watched as it grew in size. The Professor explained that the Pokémon they caught were contained inside the Poké Balls until they were called out to battle. In the event of having to capture a Pokémon, they just needed to press the button and throw the Poké Ball at the weakened Pokémon.

"When a wild Pokémon appears, its fair game. Just throw a Poké Ball at it and try to catch it! This won't always work, however. A healthy Pokémon can escape. You have to be lucky!" he looked dreamy for a while before continued, "To make a complete guide on all the Pokémon in the world… That was my dream! But, I'm too old; I can't get the job done. So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me. Get moving, you two. This is a great undertaking in Pokémon history!"

"No need to worry, Professor! I'll get the job done, just wait!" Nakao stroke a victory pose for the Professor as if to demonstrate how sure of himself he was, to which the Professor only smiled kindly. He then looked at Rei, "I hate to say it, but you won't be necessary for this. Becoming a Pokémon Master isn't about luck at all— it requires skill and talent, which I don't think are your strong points."

What the hell? What was this kid talking about? He was just as much of a newbie as Rei! And, besides, he was younger for two whole years, even though age doesn't really matter at anything Pokémon related. The only thing Rei could did at the moment was look at Nakao, raise an eyebrow and flipped open the newly acquired Pokédex, ready to check out the insides. Nakao made a face at Rei's disinterest in getting back at him, turned on his heel and left.

"I guess Nakao-kun will be one of those competitive Trainers…" Professor Oak sensed Rei and Nakao would have a few clashes on their way to becoming Pokémon Masters, especially if both of them wanted to become the Pokémon League Champion.

"Well, he's not just a Trainer, at least not to me; he's a rival— my first rival," Rei smiled a bit at that. Not a day had gone by and there was already a rival.

"Rei. As of today, you are a Pokémon Trainer. You will embark on a grand adventure with your Pokémon toward becoming a Pokémon Master. At times, you will be challenged by others and attacked by wild Pokémon. Be brave and keep pushing on. Through your adventure, I hope that you will interact with all sorts of people and achieve personal growth," Professor Oak had hopes riding on the two youngsters who had become Pokémon Trainers that day. He could feel there was something about them.

"I'll do my best, Professor Oak. I'll try very hard to fulfill your dream with this Pokédex and to become a Pokémon Master," Rei gave a radiant smile, turned around, waved goodbye, and walked out of the Lab, feeling it was about time to get started on the journey ahead.

The first steps towards the journey were already taken: Charmander was chosen as the partner, a rival was set, the task of filling up the Pokédex for Professor Oak had been issued, and Rei already had an idea on what the first two Gyms were specialized in. It was still pretty early in the day, just before midday, and the day seemed to be going perfectly so far. Rei was walking a bit slower than usual, taking in the world with the eyes of a Trainer; everything would be different now.

"Took you long enough to get here," Nakao's voice rang out, a little too much hostile emotion in it.

"You were waiting for me?" Rei asked a bit surprised.

"Not in the sense you probably think," he glowered a bit at his self-appointed nemesis, "I want to challenge you to a Pokémon battle."

"You don't waste time, eh, Nakao-kun?" Rei just dug into the pants pockets and walked nonchalantly toward Nakao with a carefree attitude, "When and where?"

"We can meet in Route 1," Nakao looked at Rei with determination in his eyes, and Rei knew that if it were possible, he would've wanted the fight to take place then and there.

"Alright, I'll be there. I just have to stop home for a minute," Rei shifted the duffle bag so it wouldn't fall when the walking was resumed.

"You better be there, Arisugawa!" Nakao said in a demanding voice as he turned and began walking in the opposite direction, "Don't go being a girl and backing out, got it?" Rei just snickered at that last comment.

"Kid, what are you talking about?" Rei arched an eyebrow, "Do you need to get your eyes fixed? I _am_ a girl," she started pointing at her body for emphasis.

Nakao gave her a skeptical look, "You're kidding, right? What do you mean, you're a girl? You sure don't look like one."

"What?! You have problems, Nakao," she was glaring at him now.

"You dress like _that_, you voice is rather deep, and you just don't _act_ like a girl," he finished placing his hands on his hip in a rather stubborn manner.

"Those aren't reasons for thinking I'm a _guy_! You rely on stereotypes way too much, you jerk! Did I ever refer to myself as a guy? Did anyone?" her face felt hot, the tips of her ears were red, all because of the kid in front of her, "How _should_ a girl act, according to you?"

"Well, nothing like _you_, that's for sure."

"Just… be at Route 1 so I can kick your butt, okay?!" she wanted to end the conversation already, before she regretted anything later. Though, the only thing she wanted to do was strangle the guy... _Could_ she regret that on the long run?

"Fine!" Nakao almost shouted at her.

"_Fine!_" Rei _did_ shout, right before turning on her heel so she could make her way back home.

Rei took the way back home, fuming all the while thinking about what was to happen in a while. First, she had to show Mom her new buddy, check thoroughly the supplies they were to take on their adventure and head out to face Nakao on the outskirts of town. If the battle went well and they won, maybe Charmander would have enough energy left to take off after and they could make their way to Route 1, catch a few Pokémon, and reach Viridian City before sundown. But, if they lost to Nakao and Squirtle, they would have to head back to Professor Oak's lab and ask to have Charmander healed, since there were no Pokémon Centers in Pallet Town.

She reached the house, took a deep breath, and tried not to look too excited when stepping through the front door. The door was unlocked, the lights were off, and there was some rustling coming from the kitchen. Sure enough, Rei's mother was standing in front of the stove, probably cooking lunch. Rei took a deep breath once again and took Charmander's Poké Ball out.

"Charmander, come on out!" the Poké Ball was tossed with a flexibility she didn't knew she had, the Poké Ball opened shooting out a red beam and in a matter of seconds, the fire lizard Charmander was out and about.

Rei's mom turned slowly, as if disbelieving, and took in the sight in front of her. Right in the middle of the kitchen stood an orange lizard-looking Pokémon, standing at about two feet, with a vibrant flame on its tail. The Fire-type Pokémon looked at her with curious, green eyes, as if awaiting the first reaction from the woman, preferably one of acceptance— and that was what it got, since the housewife was soon bent on her knees petting the Pokémon's head in a motherly manner.

"Oh, he's so adorable! You chose such a cute Pokémon, Rei!" she continued petting the Charmander.

"I know, right? He's really something. I just felt drawn to him and I knew I had to choose him," Rei seemed to swell with pride, "It requires patience to raise a Charmander, but I know it'll be worth it," Charmander gave a gleeful cry at that.

"So, you got there on time? Were there many kids there?" she petted the Pokémon on last time, smiled at it, and got back to the previous task behind the stove.

"I was the first to get there, with one of the professor's Aides, Inoue Kazuhiko. It turns out, I was rather early. Inoue-san is the one in charge of getting everything in the Lab up and running, but when we got there, everything had been taken care of by Professor Oak himself," Rei sat down at the table and Charmander sat down at the floor taking turns to look at both humans in the room, "I was greeted by one of Jo-kun's Pokémon— it was a Growlithe."

"Jo-kun's Pokémon?" Mrs. Arisugawa turned once again with a surprised look on her face, "What was it doing outside of its Poké Ball?

"Apparently, Jo-kun had called the professor, asking him to run a check up on all his Pokémon. It seems he's going to attempt getting his next Badge," Rei reached out to Charmander and petted the young Pokémon's head, earning a pleased cry out of the Fire-type Starter, "You should've seen all his Pokémon, Mom. He's quite the modest guy— he never, not once, told us he has over two dozens of Pokémon being held at Oak's Lab. And what's more, he's seen little over a hundred kinds of Pokémon."

"I'll have to ask him about that the next time he calls," the proud mother was smiling broadly, but at the same time wondering how Jo-kun had gotten so far in just a month, "Anything else?"

"I have a rival already. His name is Mizuno Nakao, and he chose Squirtle. I think they're made for each other," Rei chuckled a bit, thinking back on how Squirtle seemed overjoyed for being picked by the younger Trainer.

"Well, at least you have some friendly competition in Mizuno-kun. It must be nice to have a rival in something— it helps you set goals for each other."

"I'm supposed to go meet him in Route 1— we'll have our first battle there," Charmander seemed to perk up at hearing Rei's last words. A battle against Squirtle would be perfect for showing what a great choice Rei had made in choosing him.

"Well, you better hurry. You wouldn't want Mizuno-kun to think you're backing out," this was the real deal now; Rei and Charmander would have their first battle together and find out what they were capable of as a team.

"Yeah," Rei said while getting up, "he seems the type to hold a grudge over every little thing. Let's go, Charmander," Rei called and the Poké Ball shot the red beam at Charmander, calling him back to a quick rest inside.

She gathered everything, said a last farewell, and left to meet Nakao. It looked like everyone in town already knew about the two new Trainers that had emerged that day. Every time she walked across one of the streets leading toward the border, people looked, perhaps expecting to catch a glimpse of the Pokémon one of the Trainers had chosen. It kind of made her want to take Charmander out on a stroll so they would stop talking in hushed voices and see what a great choice she had made—of course, that didn't mean that the other Pokémon were bad choices. But, trying to figure out what the townspeople were gossiping about would be a waste of time when the battle against Mizuno Nakao would take place in a matter of minutes.

Squirtle was a Water-type, while Charmander a Fire-type— and Fire-types were weak against Water-types, meaning that Charmander could be in trouble if Squirtle knew any Water-type moves. Nakao must've known about that, since he didn't waste any time in making a challenge. She continued to think about that while trying to come up with a strategy until she reached the outskirts of Pallet Town.


	2. Chapter 2: Route 1

The grassy fields with patches of sand scattered across, the lush trees and the scarce wild Pokémon running around were some of the things Rei took notice of when they got there. She had never been outside of Pallet Town— not that she remembered, anyway. She had only seen Route 1 from afar, never taking a step past the place where she always stood after a morning jog or before returning home. She had always loved watching the fields from afar, orange dyed over the land as far as her eyes could see, giving everything a surreal mood. She would take a detour and walk over to a small hill that separated Pallet Town and Route 1 after finishing a shift from her part-time job— nothing too hard for a thirteen-year old— just checking that the supplies at a small grocery store were in their place, help clients with their bags, and make deliveries for the elderly. The money she had earned was safe in a bank account her mother had opened for her— all she had for her journey were the tips she had earned from some satisfied customers.

"So you finally got here! I thought you wouldn't show up," the already familiar voice of Mizuno Nakao called out from somewhere nearby.

"I don't back out from any challenge; you should know that if you plan to be my rival until we reach the Pokémon League," Rei turned around and came face to face with the extravagant boy.

"So you think you'll make it to the Pokémon League?" Nakao asked while taking his place a few steps across from Rei.

"I know we will," Rei defied while taking Charmander's Poké Ball from the belt Mrs. Arisugawa had bought a few months ago for both of her children, "I just hope to see _you_ there."

"You will… You'll see me holding the Champion's Trophy, so don't worry," as soon as Nakao's last words died out, Squirtle's Poké Ball came hurtling towards the space between the Trainers, releasing the aquatic Pokémon.

"You're a little too sure of yourself, Nakao-kun," Rei commented in a hushed voice, "Charmander, let's go!" Charmander came out of his Poké Ball, stroke a pose, and awaited his Trainer's command.

Both Trainers stared down at each other for about a minute, as well as their Pokémon, who were standing at a defensive stance, probably out of instinct. Rei's thoughts about what was to happen raced, the realization of being in her first battle now attacking at full force. Who would go first? Was it about courtesy? Should Nakao, the opponent, go first? What if that was what _he_ thought? What would they do, call in for a break and toss a coin? All this thinking was so useless!

"Charmander, use Scratch!" Rei shouted at the Fire-type, making the Pokémon dash at his opponent with a sharp claw up in the air.

"Dodge it, Squirtle, and use your Tail Whip!" Charmander had gotten close, but Squirtle was able to dodge the attack, turning around and landing a solid hit with its tail on Charmander's back. The lizard Pokémon cried out, retreating further away from his opponent.

"Charmander, use Scratch again!" Rei commanded, getting a quick reply as Charmander reached out for the turtle Pokémon once again and grazed its face with sharp claws, red marks streaking across.

"Squirtle, hang in there!" Nakao screamed at the top of his lungs, a frightened look on his face. Rei took that as a 'Go!' sign and commanded again.

"Nice, Charmander! Go for another!" Charmander reached out with its other set of claws and scratched at his opponent once again, this time pushing Squirtle on its back.

Squirtle had fallen, and Nakao look horrified, at least for a second, "Squirtle, get up!" the aquatic Pokémon obeyed, leaping into action once again, "Tackle him!" and that was all Squirtle needed to run full force at the Fire Pokémon standing a few feet away, crashing into Charmander and knocking him away, seemingly taking some air out of him.

"Darn it. That must've been a critical hit…" Rei thought out loud, "Charmander, Growl!" Charmander got up, shook his head a bit, and growled at Squirtle, making it take a couple of steps backwards, "Now, Scratch him up!"

Charmander moved as fast as he could towards his opponent, not wanting to miss the opportunity Rei had created by having Squirtle startled with that Growl. The Fire-type ran into the marine Pokémon, struck with his sharp claws, and crashed with it into the ground. Charmander realized he was on top of Squirtle a split-second later, got off of him and backed off, taking precautions just in case his opponent tried retaliating against him.

"Squirtle!" Nakao cried for his Pokémon, but it didn't as much as twitch from the ground, "Squirtle, get up!" he was starting to sound desperate, his voice breaking a bit.

Rei looked at Squirtle, trying to catch a glimpse at its face, but she wasn't able to from that distance. Charmander looked at his adversary with a worried expression on his face, uttering a soft cry. Concern started to swell up deep within Rei, as Nakao ran to his Pokémon's side, tears filling his eyes. Nakao picked up the marine creature, hugging it close, as Rei ran up to them.

"Nakao-kun, is Squirtle alright?" Rei questioned after being close enough, Charmander in tow.

Nakao just looked up at Rei with bitterness sketched all over his face, "You… What did you do?! Don't you think you took it a little too far?!" he shouted while getting up as swiftly as he could, considering the fact that he was carrying a 20 lbs. Pokémon in his arms.

"What?" Rei almost choked on her words and took a step backwards, clearly intimidated by the younger boy, "But, it was just a battle! He should be alright… shouldn't he?" worry was taking over as Rei looked at Squirtle's face…

Squirtle was just lying in Nakao's arms, almost limply, with the… the goofiest expression she had ever seen! His mouth was hanging open, his eyes looking up at the sky in bewilderment. He was breathing evenly, his shell moving with every intake and outtake of fresh air. Rei's head cocked to the side to get a better look, but nothing was obtained as a familiar voice interrupted.

"Squirtle's unable to battle! Rei and Charmander are the winners!" announced a very enthusiast Kazuhiko Inoue, sporting a lab coat and coming up a hill behind them.

"So Squirtle will be alright, then?" Rei questioned, still a bit puzzled.

"Of course! These things happen," Inoue gave an accomplished grin upon reached the young Trainers, as apparently the task of going up the small hill had been hard for him. Rei and Nakao just looked at him, each with arched eyebrow, as if expecting him to ask for a prize or something, "Most new Trainers are too excited and eager to battle, so they just challenge each other right on the spot once they get their Pokémon; they normally have their battle behind the lab where I can act as referee. You two, on the other hand, must've been too eager to begin your adventures and thought about battling afterwards."

Nakao had a look on his face that Rei couldn't decipher completely, but tried to sympathize anyway, "Inoue-san, is there anything we can do to make sure Squirtle is alright?" she questioned with genuine concern.

"Well, there are no Pokémon Centers here in Pallet Town, if you can remember what we talked about this morning, so I guess we could always take it to the Professor's Lab," as soon as Kazuhiko finished informing, Nakao started walking back to Pallet Town, his Squirtle still cradled in his arms wearing that goofy face.

"Nakao-kun, wait up!" Rei was ready to run after the boy, but was stopped by Nakao's voice.

"Go on with your adventure, Arisugawa; we don't need your sympathy," came the cold reply, with not even a glance to acknowledge the concern in the eyes of his opponent.

Rei just came to a halt and looked at Nakao's retreating form. What would happen to Nakao now? Inoue-san had said Squirtle would be alright, and his judgment could be trusted on that, but Nakao was really something to worry about. He looked like a cheerful kid from afar, but once she was in sight, he turned into quite the different person; he had jumped into rivalry-mode before they even had a chance to meet formally, the way he talked to or about her was rather aggressive for an eleven-year old, and the way he had challenged them somehow felt like a scheme to try and prove he was better somehow, and it would've worked if he hadn't lost.

"Don't worry, Rei— Squirtle will be alright," came Kazuhiko's gentle voice from behind Rei, Charmander uttering a soft cry seemingly wanting to assure his Trainer as well.

"I know _Squirtle_ will…" Rei turned around, looking directly at Charmander. If Charmander had been the one who lost the battle and fainted, Rei would've been just as distraught as Nakao was at the moment.

"Nakao-kun will be as well. It was just the shock of watching his first Pokémon get defeated by his rival's Pokémon. He'll get over it, and you better be ready for what will come after. He looks like the type who begrudges easily," Kazuhiko expressed himself hoping to ease Rei a bit.

"Yeah…" was the absentminded reply. Then Rei remembered something, "Inoue-san, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, that's right," he smiled at Rei's raised eyebrow, "I was looking for you, wondering if maybe you were the one I could trust with something; but after watching that match, I think I can confide in you."

Now it was the other eyebrow's turn to rise "You saw that? Oh, man…" Rei felt a little embarrassed at the thought that someone had seen her first battle, specially that ending, "So, Inoue-san, what can I help you with?" she inquired bravely, in spite of the reddish hue that had appeared on her youthful face. If Inoue-san had seen the fight, then there was nothing to do about it; she might as well find out how she could help.

"There's something I've been working on, you see," he took a small package from his lab coat's pocket. It looked like a small box that had been sloppily wrapped in brown paper, like the kind grocery bags were made of. Rei guessed Inoue-san had been hasty about wrapping the thing, maybe because he was so keen on finding either one of the new Trainers, "If everything works as planned, this will help Trainers all over with their battling, not to mention making the referee's job of judging Pokémon battles at the Pokémon League so much easier," he began to tear at the brownish paper, revealing a cerulean box.

Rei was quite anxious to find out what was inside the little box— if it could help in the Pokémon League, and Inoue wanted someone of trust to handle it first, it had to be big. Well, big in terms of importance, at least. As Kazuhiko opened up the box, she noticed how Charmander stood on his tiptoes—he was most likely as curious as she was regarding the object. Inside the box was a pair of…

"Shades?" Rei questioned while peering inside the box, her disbelief as obvious as the flare on Charmander's tail.

"What?" Kazuhiko's jubilant smile faded at her question—he had been engrossed with his 'invention,' not noticing how the young Trainer's apparent expectations darkened at the sight of the object in the box.

"Shades. You know, tinted lenses, sunglasses… _Shades_!" Rei pointed at the contents of the box with that last word, trying to make the explanation easier for Inoue-san.

"Um, actually, it's a visor," he was the one who cocked an eyebrow this time, "You're supposed to wear it every time you have a Pokémon battle and it presents you with the necessary data for each Pokémon on the battle field."

"How does it do that? It sound complicated…" Rei scratched the back of her head in slight confusion.

"Well, you just put it on and—"

Inoue's voice was soon drowned by the sea of Rei's thoughts on the visor. Could it really be possible to have all the necessary data on Pokémon, just by using a thing so small? She stared at it blankly for a while— it was just a pair of azure shades, no bigger than the ones her father wore on that picture he had sent them while he was working in Cinnabar Island. And Professor Oak had already given her a Pokédex, which was supposed to record detailed data on the Pokémon she captured, so what else could those shades inform her? Inoue-san seemed very excited about what he was talking about, so Rei figured she should at least listen to whatever it was he was explaining.

"—that's just about everything it can do for now. Pretty useful, isn't it?" he smiled expectantly at Rei.

"Uh…" he was finished? He had explained everything and she didn't hear a word of it because she spaced out?! "Yeah, it looks useful," she smiled awkwardly, hoping he wouldn't notice her ignorance.

"You… didn't hear me at all, did you?" he regarded her with disapproval.

"I'm sorry, really. I just began wondering how it worked and missed your whole explanation—it happens at home all the time," she gave him a remorseful look to which Inoue just smiled.

"It's alright, don't worry about it. If you take it with you and try it out, you'll find out what it does at your own pace. And, if there's anything you don't understand, you can just call me at the Professor's Lab," his right hand reached his chin and his face took a contemplative look, "Besides, I think it could really help my research if you gave me your opinions on the features after having used them unexpectedly."

"Alright, I'll do that, then," Rei smiled radiantly and extended her hands. Inoue placed the visor on her right hand, reached for another of his coat's pockets, took something out and placed it in Rei's other hand.

"It's just a little something as thanks for the favor. I'm sorry I couldn't get something better," he said apologetically as Rei looked at the Potion she now held in her left hand.

"Oh, this is plenty. Thanks a lot!" she smiled radiantly as Inoue Kazuhiko waved farewell and made his way back to Pallet Town.

This is were her journey finally began—effortlessly walking on the dirt road that stretched along Route 1 in search for Pokémon. Everything was going smoothly: she had finally received her first Pokémon from Professor Oak and aside from that, she had been entrusted with the task of completing a Pokédex. She glanced at the visor in her hand and decided to try it on, just to see what it felt like and how things looked behind the blue-tinted lenses. It felt rather loose, not sinking anything into her skin, as if it had been made for her. The only problem was that, she was still wearing her baseball cap, and that made it a bit uncomfortable around the ears. The world had turned blue, and it didn't look too bad.

She was humming a carefree tune as she walked on, until something hit her squarely on the back of her head. The sudden impact had knocked her baseball cap a few feet away from where she stood and the visor slid a bit down the bridge of her nose. She grumbled under her breath as she massaged the back of her head, trying to feel a lump or something out of the ordinary, when she saw some kind of bird trying to pick up her hat from the ground. She placed the visor in its place and noticed words forming rapidly in the air. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to read the small letters.

She then realized it was the visor giving data on the Pokémon—Pidgey— just as Kazuhiko had tried explaining moments earlier. She smirked as she reached for the Poké Ball that contained Charmander, fully intent in capturing the little rascal who had knocked into her. The Pokémon glanced at her, tilting its head to the side, as she threw the Poké Ball in its direction, the Trainer's intentions becoming apparent. Charmander stood at the ready, waiting for his Trainer's command.

"Let's start with Scratch," she ordered, and not a minute later, Charmander dashed toward the small bird.

The Pidgey took off by flapping its small wings, dodging the attack, and kicking up a lot of sand. The words 'Sand Attack' appear across the visor, and Rei figured it was the name of the attack. She then took notice of Charmander, who was rubbing his eyes in a very frustrated fashion— that must've been what the Sand Attack was intended to do. She advised Charmander to blink a few times as she scanned the skies for the rogue Pidgey, hoping it hadn't escaped. An arrow appeared at the edge of the visor, she turned around, and the words 'Tackle' flashed upwards as she located the tiny bird, already swooping down towards Charmander.

Her eyes grew wide as she yelled at Charmander to dodge, the Fire-type crouching low, but to no avail, as the Pidgey crashed into him and knocked him into the ground. Rei dropped the duffle bag on the side of the dirt road and took off her backpack, rummaging for one of the Potions.

"Charmander!" she called out to her partner, making the Pokémon perk up, "Do you think you can do it?" she questioned as she noticed the Pidgey flying high above them, possibly preparing for another attack.

The fire lizard nodded stubbornly and faced the monster in the sky, ready to make a stand. The words 'Scratch' and 'Growl' appeared, seemingly floating in the air, as she looked at Charmander— those were obviously his attacks. She commanded a Growl and the flame-tail obeyed by directing a powerful cry at his foe and Rei took notice of the slight flinch the bird had made. Nonetheless, it swooped down once again ready to strike. Rei directed her Pokémon to keep still, in wait of the coming attack, and to prove his trust in her. The Starter Pokémon stood his ground, unmoving, besides the fact that his opponent was coming down to crash once again into him. When the Pidgey looked close enough, Rei hollered the attack and Charmander jumped into the air, ready to meet his adversary and use his Scratch attack.

Charmander crashed into his opponent, his claw striking the bird's abdomen. The smaller Pokémon's face changed from a confident attacker to that of a wounded rival, his eyes void of emotion as it collapsed into the dirt below. The word 'Fainted' appeared on the small screen Rei wore over her eyes. She appreciated the indication as she swiftly unfastened a Poké Ball from her belt and threw it almost expertly at the fallen Pokémon. The spherical object collided with the small bird, bounced off of it and shot out the red beam of light— it engulfed the Pokémon, making it glow the same shade of red, and eventually absorbed it.

"This is it…" Rei cautiously approached Charmander and they both watched as the Poké Ball rocked back and forth, the button in it center glowing a bright crimson.

After a few more shakes, it finally came to a halt and the glow in the center button dimmed until it fully disappeared. Both Rei and her Pokémon companion released sighs of relief, making Rei chuckle a bit. Just a few hours together and they were already beginning to act alike. Rei smiled as she walked towards the Poké Ball that contained her first captured Pokémon, picked it up, and held it in her hands for a while. Charmander stared at his Trainer, wondering why she wasn't moving. He inched forward, trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

"Charmander…" she address her Pokémon, "We did it—we actually did it…" she turned around to reveal a huge smile spread across her face, "We captured a Pokémon, our very first!"

She lunged at the Fire-type, embracing him tightly and spinning around in circles, ending the impromptu carousel with a pleasurable sigh. She released Charmander onto the ground, who staggered back and forth before regaining his poise, and jumped around for a bit more while saying 'I captured a Pokémon' in different tones. Charmander looked at her slightly amused and decided to sit down on the dirt road, predicting it could be a while before she recovered her sanity.

"Sorry about that," she apologized to her companion after she was finished strutting up and down a very small portion of the road, "It's all thanks to you, Charmander. You've earned a good rest."

She reached for Charmander's Poké Ball and pressed the button on its center, increasing its size, and pointed it at Charmander. But, before she called him back, Charmander leaped forward and ran towards her. She became confused as the Pokémon dashed past her at breakneck speed, and tried following him with her gaze. She had to turn around completely to notice what was happening: a rodent was trying to take off with her baseball cap, which had been forgotten on the road because of all the commotion the Pidgey had caused. She gawked at the scene as Charmander lunged toward the scoundrel, missing it by mere inches.

"What the heck is that?!" she screamed in frustration moments before the visor identified the burglar.

It was named 'Rattata,' and it was making haste while carrying her cap in its chops. She ran a few steps forward, only to be reminded that her things were lying a few feet back. She dashed in the opposite direction where Charmander was pursuing the bandit, picked up her belongings, and _then_ made her way towards her buddy. She ran as fast as she could, realizing they were just a few feet away, where Charmander had the little crook cornered against a tree— it looked like he was trying to convince the Rattata into handing over the accessory. Sadly, the bucktoothed rodent refused to give up its trophy.

"Nice work, Charmander!' Rei congratulated him upon reached them, "Give that back!" she reached for the cap and the small Pokémon dropped it, but only so it could try to bite her.

Rei retracted her hand, barely dodging the large front teeth of her attacker. Charmander took a step forward, ready to protect his Trainer, and Rei became conscious of the situation: she had a Pokémon that would fight for her, the crook _was_ a Pokémon, and even better, one she hadn't captured. She smirked at the situation and turned to her Pokémon.

"Should we go for it?" she questioned, gaining a confident reply from her partner, "Alright then."

She took a few steps back, earning a questioning look from the Rattata, though it still wouldn't let go of the cap. Charmander stood at the ready, not taking his emerald eyes off the opponent— another potential partner for the road towards the Pokémon League. The rodent finally regarded the lizard in front as an enemy, its whiskers twitching in anticipation. It dropped the baseball cap and took cautious steps forward; a fight was about to take place and it just wasn't important anymore.

"Begin with Scratch, and then follow up with Growl," she ordered in a soft voice.

Charmander swiped at his opponent with one sharp claw and, just when his opponent was about to strike, he gave a powerful Growl, making it stumble backwards. The Rattata fell back blindly, bumping into the tree behind— it was cornered, but it wouldn't give up so easily. It charged at the Fire-type as the visor covering Rei's eyes announced a 'Tackle,' hitting Charmander squarely on the chest. He staggered back a bit, but stood strong. Rei ordered another Scratch attack, to which Charmander complied, but missed. The little rat took the opportunity to slam its tail into Charmander's head in a surprising Tail Whip, leaving the flame-tail at a loss. The Fire-type Pokémon then used Scratch once more, knocking his adversary into the ground with a vacant expression on its face. Rei didn't even notice the flashing 'Fainted' word as she threw a Poké Ball automatically at the knocked-out Pokémon. The Poké Ball rocked for a while, much like what happened to the one used on Pidgey, until the red light on its center dimmed into nonexistence.

"Yet another capture for the day!" Rei triumphantly announced while her Pokémon stroke a victory pose, feeling proud of himself. They were getting better at the whole Pokémon capture thing, and Rei was gaining confidence as a Pokémon Trainer, not to mention the fact that Charmander was growing stronger.

Rei called Charmander back into his Poké Ball for a well-earned rest, one that would last until they reached their destination or if an emergency occurred. He had been wonderful, a real fighter throughout the day. Three battles in the same day without rest, and he still looked ready for more. But Rei knew better than to drive her Pokémon into exhaustion— she knew relaxing also played a big part in getting stronger. She reassumed her walking towards their next stop, Viridian City, while making a mental recap of the events that had taken place so far. They had defeated their rivals, agreed on helping a friend in need, made new friends and they were bonding at a steady pace.

A drizzle began, making Rei look up at the now graying sky. The gentle shower, accompanied by the thoughts of her newly caught Pokémon, made her feel like dancing joyfully. And though she pushed that urge aside, she regained the bounce on her step and continued on her way to Viridian City, the confidence of her abilities as a Trainer building up deep inside.


	3. Chapter 3: Viridian City

The afternoon sun had begun to glow at its best by the time Rei reached Viridian City— it was casting its radiance over the scattered trees, the lengthened blades of grass and the dirt road between Route 1 and the bustling city she now held in view. Even from a distance, she could tell Viridian City was much bigger than Pallet Town. There were a few, taller buildings in the background, many more than her beloved Pallet Town held, towering over the smaller structures that stood closer to Route 1. Unlike her home town, Viridian City looked like a place where business and suburban living existed collectively. There were houses, though they were mixed in with the concrete edifices.

"Okay, first things first: we head for the Pokémon Center," Rei thought to herself as she tightened her grip on the gray duffle bag over her shoulder.

She was surrounded by stone walls in a matter of minutes as she tried to find her way through the snaking streets of the bustling metropolis. Every avenue looked the same to her, filled with people who rushed by, loud car noises and salesmen who tried to sell her every little thing, from Pokémon food can openers to vacuum cleaners. Her grip on the duffle bag tightened once again as she thought that maybe it was time she asked somebody for directions. So she summoned her courage, took off her visor then placed it on the inside pocket of her black jacket, and scanned the streets for someone who didn't look as busy—and she found a target almost immediately. There was a girl standing still between the moving masses, apparently looking at one of the tables the street merchants had set on the sidewalks. She had been easy to spot, what with her auburn curls setting her apart from the loads of graying tresses most of the older people on the street sported. Rei could only see her back, but it didn't really matter— she would just go over and ask for directions towards the Pokémon Center.

Her heart began pounding in her ears with every step towards the unsuspecting girl; it was like the first time you go to school and you have to ask one of the older students for directions towards the bathrooms or something. Her feet felt heavy, she didn't know what to do with her hands, and she suddenly started worrying about what words she would use upon getting there— it was just a simple question for directions, but she felt as though she had been sent to tell somebody something very uncomfortable. She had already reached the table where the girl was browsing for items and hadn't even noticed.

"Uh…" her voice came out a tad too rough, so she cleared her throat, a bit too loudly, "Um, excuse me?"

"Yes?" the girl questioned while turning to face her, amethyst eyes locking with Rei's coffee-colored ones.

"Could you… Uh, please…" _the Pokémon Center— could you direct me towards the Pokémon Center?_

"Hey, let's go to the Pokémon Center and get these guys healed. We can have our battle then, okay?" a young voice called to someone else behind Rei, making her brain jolt with an idea.

"Oh, that looks nice, but not quite for me," Rei said about a locket the girl held in her hands and then gave a loud, uneasy chuckle before dashing towards where she had heard the voice. She almost choked on her goofy giggle and the last thing she saw was that the girl had arched an eyebrow at her retreating form, probably because of her awkward behavior.

She caught up with the boys she had overheard at the street—they didn't look over ten years of age, which gave Rei the impression they were beginning Trainers just like herself. Maybe she could challenge them to a battle once Charmander and the others had been healed…

"Don't look now, buddy, but there's this old lady following us," she thought she heard one of them whisper to his companion.

"Really?" the second boy whispered skeptically before glancing back, directly at Rei. Their eyes met, Rei's giving a bit of a defiant stare, and he jerked his head forward, "Oh, man… You think she might try to steal our Pokémon or something?"

"What?" was all Rei muttered under her breath. Her eyes fixed at the back of heads a few feet away from her.

"Let's pick up the pace and get to the Pokémon Center, okay?" the first boy suggested.

Though the other boy had agreed to quicken their pace, they broke into a run pretty soon after their conversation was over. Rei just looked at their retreating forms, puzzled by their behavior. What had gotten into them? And, what old lady behind them? She suddenly wished she knew where the Pokémon was. Not that she was scared or anything—she just wanted Charmander and the others healed. Yeah, that was it…

As she scanned the area, she noticed the Pokémon Center at the distance. It was a big building— slightly bigger than Professor Oak's Lab— with a big, red, glowing 'P' up front. It had a small garden at its entrance which welcomed the Trainers all the way toward the automatic crystal doors. Everything was lit up— which meant they were operational— so she Rei sprinted the remaining distance.

Once past the automatic crystal doors, she saw all kinds of people in what she thought was the lobby: there were kids who looked as old as those Trainers from earlier, some older ones who looked to be in their teens— much like herself— and grown-ups, all of them chatting casually, most likely about their Pokémon and their journeys so far. She smiled broadly as she made her way directly towards a big, red counter behind which a smiling, pink-haired lady, who wore a pale pink nurse's uniform, was talking to… The kids she had followed earlier?

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy! Now we can kick this guy's butt," one of the kids, a brown-haired boy, expressed his gratitude toward the older woman while taking his Poké Balls out of a tray. He looked at the Poké Balls in his hands, eyes twinkling with obvious excitement.

"No way you're gonna beat us! We're tough as nails— we'll cream ya!" the other youth, a boy with dirty-blonde hair, replied defiantly, his fist closed around a lone Poké Ball.

Both youngsters turned to leave and came face to face with Rei, blinked repeatedly and dashed out of the Pokémon Center, both of them shrieking something about an old lady who was after their Pokémon. Rei just froze, her mind trying to process the whole event: those kids mentioned an old lady again, but she never saw anyone enter the Pokémon Center after her. Did they mean…?

Realization dawned on her as she was ready to take off after those brats, her mind set on revenge against them for mistaking her for some old woman. She was just about to dash after them, when she barely heard something— it was the nurse calling out to her in voice so soft it was barely audible at her distance. Well, either that or she was too busy with thoughts of retribution. She blushed a bit at having spaced out and walked the remaining steps toward the counter.

"Good evening, and welcome to our Pokémon Center— we restore your tired Pokémon to full health. Would you like to rest your Pokémon?" the nurse smiled cheerily after finishing the little speech she had probably memorized for work.

"Uh, sure…" Rei nodded as she reached for the spheres that were clipped on her belt— three Poké Balls containing Charmander, Pidgey, and Rattata— and placed them in the first three slots on a tray she supposed the nurse had placed while she unhooked the Poké Balls.

The nurse took the tray containing Rei's Poké Balls and took it behind revolving doors. Rei just stood there, eyebrow arched, and wondered how long it would take for that pink-haired nurse, —Joy, as those kids had called her— to be finished with her Pokémon. She allowed her eyes to wonder around the lobby, to take in any detail she had missed on her rush to have her companions healed.

Behind the big, red counter where she rested her hands was a computer, probably for typing in the data about each Pokémon Nurse Joy took care of; there was also a chair, some papers neatly stacked in two columns, and a video phone. Her gaze then followed the counter's gleaming surface, first to the left, then to the right, everything identical on both sides—a floral arrangement on each corner, and stacks of enlightening brochures, probably filled with basic Pokémon information, scattered here and there.

She then averted her eyes to the floor, pastel-colored tiles repeating themselves in an almost monotone fashion until the met at what she believed to be the center of the vestibule where they formed what she recognized as a Poké Ball in a much darker shade. She walked over to it, making her way to what resembled the release button of the spherical object, looking around at the many Trainers in and out her peripheral vision. They were cheerful, full of life and hungry for adventure, and she probably looked the same, though maybe a bit more aloof at the moment. Smiling faces as far as the eye could see, until she found a row of sitting youths, all giving their back to her. Her head tilted to the side in wonder before she realized what was in that distant corner. She smiled to herself and made her way to an empty seat, digging for something in the confines of her duffel bag without taking her eyes off her current destination.

She took out her wallet, picked a few coins, and inserted a couple in an opening no bigger than a button. She touched a few of the numbers on the screen and waited, a strange smile plastered on her otherwise emotionless face— her lips were stretched broadly on her face, but her eyes didn't light up. She felt like smiling, it was her first time in a Pokémon Center on the first day of her adventure, but she felt a bit… empty. It had happened once before, when that feeling of having nothing inside attacked and your breathing began to come out in uneven gasps. Her nostrils flared as she tried to level her breathing and regain control of her fast-paced heart, clutching the phone in a death grip, almost crushing it against her left ear. She hanged her head until she saw the screen change from the corner of her eyes, the words "call in process, please wait" being replaced with the image of her mother laughing a bit hysterically. She dropped her duffle bag on the floor as she waited for her mother to acknowledge her.

"Oh, Rei, darling! Sweetie, how are you?" she asked while trying to catch gulps of air.

"I'm fine, mom," and, thankfully, she couldn't help but give her mother the best attempt at a smile. In a matter of seconds, though, she was laughing along, her front teeth showing, eyes squinting and shoulders slightly trembling— laughter had always been contagious for her.

"Where are you calling from, honey?" her mom questioned, still smiling broadly while drying her eyes with a blue-checkered apron.

"I'm in Viridian City's Pokémon Center. I'm waiting for my Pokémon to get fully healed," she smiled proudly at the screen, taking in her mother's movements with as a strong feeling swelled over her. Why was she hurting so much now?

"Oh, you're in Viridian City, of course. It took you quite a while to get there, huh? Jo-kun called just an hour after he had left home, you know," she smiled at her daughter, taking pride in her younger son's passed accomplishment.

"Yes, I remember," her smile faltered a bit but she continued nonetheless, "And, if I remember correctly, it was because he had walked directly here—no rivals to fight against, and no Pokémon caught. I had to encourage him to crawl into the tall grass in search of Pokémon."

"Oh, about that, you know, rivals and such," she tucked a stray curl of brunette hair behind an ear, "How was your battle against Nakao-kun?"

Rei gave a bit of an arrogant smirk before answering, her voice filled with pride, "Well, we won, of course! It's not like some pompous kid is going to beat us, you know,"

"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetheart! Even with a type disadvantage, you managed, huh?" her eyes shone in excitement, "You know when Jo-kun won those battles in Viridian Forest with only his starter Pokémon, right? Hardships because of type match-ups _and_ numbers. I'm so proud of my children!"

"I'm sure…" she began scratching at the corner of the monitor with the single, long nail on her thumb. She distracted herself with that for a moment: why was it that all her nails were short, save for the ones on her thumbs? She always bit off every other one…

"Rei!" she heard her mother's voice ring out in her left ear.

"What?" came the docile question as she pulled her nail away from an opening on the monitor's side.

"I asked you, have you caught any Pokémon yet?" she arched an eyebrow at her daughter.

"I have Charmander, Pidgey, and Rattata so far. I caught those last two on my way here," she finished in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Wow, three Pokémon already? That Pidgey gave you a bit of surprise, I'm sure— you're still covered in dirt!" she then raised her head as to look at her firstborn a bit better, "And what happened to your cap?"

"That would be Rattata's handiwork," she smiled as she took her hat off and inspected it—there were little bite marks around the cap's rim. It was then she noticed the loose ponytail she wore was just about ready to fall off. She took off the small black, elastic and put it on her right wrist like it was a bracelet, "Pidgey had knocked it off of me when we first met and I had forgotten all about it until I had captured it. Then Charmander noticed Rattata was trying to get away with it. It was an effortless battle—I'm still surprised at how easy it was."

"Well, Rattata and Pidgey are very common and kind of weak. Its a real luck they live so close to Pallet Town—they give novice Trainers a chance to practice catching Pokémon," now it was Mrs. Arisugawa's turn to use that matter-of-fact voice on her daughter.

Rei's eyes narrowed a bit, "Were you talking on the phone before I called?" she tried a change of topic, fearing where they would end up if nothing was done.

"Oh, yes, I was. Misato must've hung up by now…" the older woman looked a bit pensive for a while, but ultimately waved her hand in a dismissive manner, as if it only took that kind of action to end all worries.

"Has Jo-kun called yet? It's been a week since the last time," so she counted the days and knew the exact hour— wasn't an older sister supposed to worry over a younger brother out in a world full of monsters powerful enough to… fill her with sand from head to toe? Pidgey was great with that Sand Attack. She became self-conscious of the dirt that clung to her skin, wishing for an immediate bath.

"No, he hasn't… Well, it's still pretty early, you know. Maybe he's still out there on some route, making his way to a Pokémon Center or something," she smiled and Rei noticed worry had begun to take over, "He's been gone for a month now so we know he can take care of himself. You should worry about yourself, you know? You're new at this whole thing."

"Yeah, but I'm older," and that was one of the statements that had begun a few arguments over the last three years, so she knew right away it was best to end the conversation then and there. There wasn't much to talk about, anyway, "Hey, mom? I have to call Professor Oak and let him know how far I've gone. I'll call you tomorrow, before I set out for Viridian Forest or when I reach Pewter City, alright?"

"Oh, alright, sweetie—you just concentrate on getting some rest. Now there will always be a big day ahead of you, you know. If Jo-kun calls, I'll tell him you said hello," she smiled and waved at her daughter before hanging up.

"I guess dad's still at work and hasn't called yet…" she brushed the hair out of her face and placed the nibbled cap on her head, forgetting all about the flexible circle on her right wrist.

She got up, readjusted her backpack, and picked up her duffle bag from the floor. She whirled around and almost smashed into somebody who was standing right behind her. Her eyes sealed shut and when she opened them again, all she could register was a form slightly smaller than her own, a hand extended at her. She blink rapidly and backed away, tumbling a bit over the chair where she had been sitting a while ago, and sitting on the edge of the small table holding the video phone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" a feminine voice giggled the apology. Did she really mean that?

"It's alright," she knew it was a halfhearted reply, but she wasn't sure of what had just happened.

"Are you sure? I think you hit yourself there," the girl pointed at Rei's back—or rather, her behind—and smiled apologetically.

"I assure you, if I can take on a tricky Pidgey and a bandit Rattata, I can survive a collision with a video phone booth," she had to smile at her wits—it wasn't like those were intricate trials for Trainers, even beginners.

"Pidgey," the girl said while pointing at Rei's clothes, "and Rattata?" she finished questioning her cap and giggling.

"Yeah," Rei laughed and tried to shrug it off— she becoming ill at ease because of her appearance once again, "Well, I'm sure you have to use the video phone, so I'll leave you to it."

"Yeah, I have to report in. I'm sure you know how it is," the girl smiled sweetly and pointed vaguely at the booth behind Rei.

Rei cleared the way and began to walk away, wanting to receive her Pokémon and find a shower as soon as possible. She had taken a few steps when she heard the girl's voice again. She groaned inwardly and turned to face the auburn-haired female.

"I'm Miyabi, by the way. And you're…" it wasn't really a question or an opening for Rei to make her part of the introductions. She had just finished mid-sentence and pointed at her with a curious, nail-polished finger, "You're the girl from before," once again, a statement instead of a question.

"I am?" was all Rei could ask. She stared blankly into those amethyst eyes in front of her until she finally recognized them, "Oh, it's you!" and now, more embarrassed than ever, she wished for the earth to open up and swallow her whole. As the girl smiled at her once more, she felt her stomach lurch.

The owner of those reddish-brown curls was not to blame for Rei's uneasiness—or at least not entirely. Rei, being a loner since early childhood, had a bit of a problem when it came to meeting people. And, considering she had made a fool of herself earlier in the day and with the same person, she was ready for a nervous break down. Sure, it was exaggerating a bit, but it was the only way she could explain it and one of the steps to dealing with it. Accept you have the problem of being the idiot of the hour; learn what kind of thoughtless behavior got you into this, and finally, if you're lucky enough, find out how to crash but not burn.

"I know you weren't interested in this," Miyabi spoke, grabbing the locket that dangled from her neck and breaking Rei out of her reverie, "So I guess you wanted to ask for something? Was it maybe directions toward the Pokémon Center?" _Bull's-eye_.

"Uh, yeah… I'm from Pallet Town, so I don't know where anything is around here," a bit of information about herself and she remembered she hadn't introduced herself yet, "Oh, I'm Rei, by the way," she extended her hand to Miyabi, who shook it while smiling all the while.

They stood there in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say at the moment. Rei's unease attacked once again, so she looked around while rubbing her left forearm with her right hand, and noticed Nurse Joy was by the counter once again, looking around with a tray on her hands. Rei excused herself, informing she had to pick up her Pokémon and that she should leave Miyabi to her phone call, and made her way towards the awaiting nurse. It hadn't been so bad after all. That girl seemed nice enough and she gave no indications of any feelings of mockery because of their first encounter. She reached the counter, now thinking of how she might have overreacted about the whole thing.

"Thank you for waiting. We've restored your Pokémon back to full health. We hope to see you again!" as the nurse smiled radiantly at her, all Rei could think about was 'Really? You want my Pokémon to get hurt again?

She pushed away the unwanted question, took her Poké Balls, and hooked them on her belt before deciding to voice a more important uncertainty, "Excuse me, Nurse Joy? I was wondering, is there anywhere in the city where I could spend the night? I mean, is there someplace specially for Trainers? I'm on a budget here, so…" she felt a bit ashamed because of the little money she had, and decided to keep the need for a shower secret. Well, as secret as it could be, given the fact she was covered in dirt from cap to shoes.

"There is a hostel not far from here where travelers can rest up. It won't charge much due to its one and only rule— you may only stay one night," she eyed Rei before continuing, "but the Pokémon Center has a few rooms in the back of the main building where we accommodate as many Trainers as we can. It's free of charge since we know how beginning Trainers need to manage money for their journey."

Rei sighed heavily, "Oh, that's a relief…" she expressed before letting her concern show, "There are… showers, right?" her eyes darted left and right as she prayed for a positive answer.

"Of course; we have two public showers," the nurse giggled at Rei's expression.

"She said public shower, right?" came the query from behind.

"Yeah, public showers," Rei answered as she turned her head toward the voice, finding Miyabi approaching the counter.

"Hmm…" the smaller girl pondered for a moment, "they're not…" she trailed off.

"Mixed, right? I mean, boys on their side, girls on the other? That's why there are two?" Rei finished, surprised at how she had completed Miyabi's question.

"Of course!" Nurse Joy looked as thought it was taking all of her strength not to laugh out loud.

"That's what I thought…" Miyabi commented while opening her purse and taking out a Poké Ball.

She placed the first Poké Ball in an empty tray on the counter, and then came another and another, until they tray was full. A total of six Poké Balls filled the tray where Rei's three Poké Balls once occupied. Rei stared at them for a moment—she counted from the top, then from the bottom; the row on the left, then the one on the right. Six Poké Balls came from Miyabi's purse, which meant…

"Those are yours?" she couldn't help but gape at them.

"Last time I checked…" there was a bit of silent pride on her voice, but Rei couldn't blame her. She only had three Pokémon while her brother had a whole room full of them and this newfound girl already had a full party. What was that now? Was she feeling left behind, for some reason?

"You couldn't have caught all of them here, right? I mean, you're not from Pallet Town, are you?" Rei asked even though she already knew part of the answer. While she didn't go out of the house much, aside from working that part-time job, she knew almost everybody in the small town. Sure, she had never seen Professor Oak or Inoue-san before, but that was only because they spent all day locked in a laboratory studying Jo-kun's Pokémon… And other Trainers' Pokémon, obviously.

"No, I come from Lavaridge Town," she answered as she handed the tray over to Nurse Joy, who took it in both hands and disappear behind the pair of revolving doors, much like how she had done when Rei entrusted her with her three Pokémon.

"Lavaridge Town? That's not around here, is it?" she scratched the back of her neck while Miyabi turned to face her, smiled, and walked slowly past her. Rei just followed her towards a crystal table with a couple of seats, coming to the conclusion her partner in conversation didn't intend wait for her Pokémon in front of the big, read counter.

"No, it's pretty far from here," came the rather vague reply. If she didn't want to give information about her hometown, Rei wasn't going to push her into it. She just couldn't dismiss a question, though, so she decided to ask once they sat down at the table.

"If it's pretty far away, what are you doing here?" she sat across from the owner of the twinkling amethyst eyes and folded her left leg on top of the other, left ankle resting on top of her right knee.

"I thought I'd have a shot at the Pokémon League here in Kanto," she answered while she looked out the window.

"Is there a Pokémon League in… wherever Lavaridge Town is?" she felt dumb not knowing where that was, but she guessed she would find out eventually.

Miyabi laughed a bit before answering, "Yes, there is. I just wasn't interested in entering the Pokémon back when I traveled there," Rei just nodded while registering all of that.

"You've been a Trainer for how long?" she asked a while after, trying to satisfy a bit of her curiosity.

"Let's see… I started when I was ten years old, so…" she bit on the corner of her lip as she looked at the ceiling, as if tshe could find the answer there, "about four years now."

"About wha—?" She just couldn't continue. There was something wrong there. Rei wasn't so good with Math, but something just didn't fit, "Four years now? That means you're, what, fourteen years old?"

"Yup, fourteen and about to be fifteen later this year," she smiled innocently at Rei while the latter just looked at her, her right eyebrow raised so high she thought it would freeze there.

"So you're… You're a year older than me? You don't look older than eleven," then again, she had always been bad at guessing people's age as well.

"Um, thanks… I guess," Miyabi blushed at that comment, looking at her hands on the table—she wasn't being shy, Rei could tell as much; she was probably not sure if she could take that as a compliment.

"You can be happy I think you're younger, you know. When you get older, you'll wish people thought you were younger," she just smiled at her own logic.

"Is that so?" Miyabi now laughed wholeheartedly now.

"Yeah, I've seen it happen. Women seem to care about that a lot when they get older," Rei leaned back into the chair and crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to look well-informed on the subject.

"Women? Why is it that feels like you're not including yourself in there?"

"Because…" she racked her brain in search for an answer. Why was it? "Because I'm not like most women, that's why. I don't really care about appearance and such. Waste of my time…"

"Oh, I'm sure it is…" Miyabi smirked at Rei while getting up, "I think my Pokémon are ready. I'll see you around, okay?" she waved as she walked towards Nurse Joy and her awaiting Poké Balls.

"Sure," Rei waved back and later looked at the three spheres hooked on her belt, "Let's see how we get along, shall we?"

She got up from her seat, grabbed her belongings, and headed outside. Once she was on a small patch of grass close enough so she wouldn't lose her way to the Pokémon Center yet far enough not to get in some sort of trouble, she dropped her duffle bag into the floor, freed herself from her backpack, and sat on the grass. She stretched her arms and moved them in circular motions, trying to easy a bit of pain that had crept in on her when she released her backpack. She had been carrying that thing since she had left her house on that morning, never taking it off— at least the duffle bag had been easy to get rid of from time to time.

Once she felt she was as comfortable as she could get, she chose Charmander's Poké Ball and threw it into the air, commanding her Pokémon to appear before her. A crimson flash of light emerged from the Poké Ball and seconds later took the form of the Fire-type Pokémon she had chosen as her companion for the long road towards becoming Pokémon League Champion of the Kanto Region. The orange lizard voiced his joy as Rei at him. She could bet he was happy to be out of that orb again. She kept looking at Charmander for a while, unmoving.

The bipedal creature stood at about two feet, but she knew it could be bigger is he stretched his body a bit more— his stubby hind legs were slightly bended at what Rei thought could be his knees, probably to support his torso and his tail. His arms were short, so he wouldn't be able to brace himself even if he wanted to; it just wasn't possible to him. His sharp claws, the ones he had used against Nakao's Squirtle in that first battle, shone a silvery white with the light of the crescent moon from above them. Just imagining what it would be like to be stricken by one of those claws made Rei happy _she_ wasn't a Pokémon.

Charmander noticed Rei had been looking at him so he perked up and stood a bit taller on his feet, perhaps granting access for better examination. Rei then looked at his face, his wide oral cavity with sharp little fangs sticking out every time he opened his mouth if only a little. Then, she looked up at his eyes—an effervescent emerald-colored gaze that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And she had felt like that before; it had only happened when she saw the neighbor's newborn baby for the first time. There was something similar about those pairs of eyes. Maybe it was the way Charmander surveyed her now that reminded her of the way that infant had stared at her baseball cap, as if he wanted to take it for himself just so he could see what it was all about.

She gave her Pokémon a pleasant smile and reached out for him, extending her hand just enough so he could see what she was doing with it. Her arm was bended a bit at her elbow, not reaching its full length, with her fingers slightly curled. Charmander observed her, tilting his head to look at his Trainer's hand from different angles. He warily inched closer to it, sniffing the curled fingers, one by one. He got quite a scare when Rei's fingers slowly stretched, almost touching his face. His gaze moved towards her eyes, perhaps expecting to find some sort of clue as to what se wanted to do, but he only found her smiling face. Her eyes, narrowed because of the broad smile, seemed to twinkle with the light from the flame on his tail. He moved towards her hand, reluctantly at first, but it appeared he decided to be careless for the moment and trust the human.

When her Pokémon was in reach, Rei fully stretched her arm and uncurled her fingers, coming into contact with Charmander's scaly skin. It was cool to the touch, not rough as stone, but still not as smooth as silk— it kind of felt like rubber. It seemed like there was nothing there, as if it were tissue as soft as _her own_ flesh but, as she traced her fingers on the top of his head, she felt little bumps and ridges. They were small enough not to be felt if she caressed in a certain direction.

Charmander had closed his eyes and was leaning into her hand by the time she was done trying to figure out how to describe him at the moment. She retrieved her hand slowly, making the Pokémon become aware. He opened his eyes and looked directly into hers with something that hadn't been there before. The bipedal Pokémon walked closer to her and sat on her lap, crying out contently as Rei's face changed from serene curiosity to complete surprise. She just sat there with him on her lap for a few minutes until she finally felt the need to speak.

"We've been through quite a bit already, haven't we?" to which Charmander nodded slowly, "and there are so many things we have to do if we'll become Champions, you know. You've battled wonderfully so far and we haven't been defeated yet— you took care of Squirtle all by yourself, helped capture Pidgey and Rattata and…" she paused for a moment, making Charmander look at her questioningly, "you've saved my headdress," she chuckled at her companion's face of mock exasperation, "There will always be people stronger than us, we can be sure of that. We just have to try our best and get new friends, right?" Charmander gave a playful growl, to which Rei only laughed.

That feeling that had taken over her inside the Pokémon Center was gone for now, but she knew it could come back. She had never been outside of Pallet Town, at least not so far and on her own. Maybe she was feeling nostalgic, or perhaps it was the realization of how big a deal this whole Trainer thing was. Either way, she knew she would overcome any new feelings, good or bad, the same way she knew she would defeat the great majority of Trainers that came her way.


End file.
